Seakeeper Can Revolutionize Your Fishing World

As word of mouth goes, the incredible stabilizing ability of the Seakeeper gyro is permeating the inner and outer circles of sportfishing and boating in general. Those that have experienced it themselves on a Seakeeper demo ride either offshore or dockside are the true believers. If you have not taken the opportunity to feel the roll eliminated right out of the boat, then you need to track down the nearest demo boat and try it for yourself. In the meantime, you’ve got to check out the videos of people as they feel the Seakeeper engage for the first time.

The Seakeeper units were initially built for mega yachts with mega budgets, but Seakeeper had a vision of bringing this boat-changing, life-changing technology to smaller and smaller vessels. The Seakeeper engineers have realized this goal and continue to shrink the Seakeeper units to fit in and revolutionize the stability of smaller boats. The Seakeeper 2 is the latest release and the smallest to date. It performs well in boats from 27’to 32-feet. Another crucial breakthrough was to create a Seakeeper that could be DC powered from a dedicated battery system and no longer require the use of a generator to realize Seakeeper’s benefits.

Above, I said it could be life-changing! I know that sounds dramatic, but if you or your family loves to boat and fish, but someone is afflicted with an affinity for seasickness, then the ability to take away almost all of a boat’s agonizing roll with the push of a button, leaving you with nothing but the fun; I say that’s life-changing!

Motion sickness is one of the first things that comes to mind upon feeling an un-rockable boat, but there are actually so many more aspects to it that are almost as important, unless you’re the person who gets sick.

Berkley Andrews, Seakeeper Sales Manager for the West Coast and Asia, is often on the scene when boaters get their first introduction to Seakeeper. “We get a wide array of exclamations when the Seakeeper engages on a boat we’ve started rocking. The looks of amazement are universal, but are closely followed by the thoughts of how that stability would translate into benefits for their version of fishing and boating.” Berkley continued,

“Many small boats fish pretty far offshore of SoCal in search of tuna and kelp paddies. Much of the SoCal private fleet are fishing boats under 30-feet and the Seakeeper 2 opens up a new realm of safety and stability for them. So often, if the seas kicked up mid-trip, many smaller boats would have to head to the house, but the Seakeeper changes that by making boats more stable, even while running. The Seakeeper performs well at speeds up to 60 mph and is beginning to show signs of improved performance characteristics too. It really changes every aspect of the boat and its use.”

Anglers are realizing a variety of benefits as they fish on boats or retrofit their own boats with a Seakeeper unit. “SoCal tuna fishermen will really appreciate a steady platform as they lay side-to in the waves to fly the kite or work flat fall jigs”, said Berkley. “Marlin fishermen will appreciate the elimination of the exaggerated roll in a boat’s tower while trying to be steady and glass for signs of fish or tailers. Those chasing tuna and yellowtail on kelp paddies will enjoy a much safer fishing experience when the boat rock is eliminated by near 90 to 95%. This means no coolers and buckets sliding around or hooks and jigs swinging dangerously. Anglers can just fish instead of holding on and dealing with a rocking boat. It’s also much quieter and that has fishing benefits too!”

Speaking of quiet, the fact that you no longer need a generator running to power a Seakeeper is a huge leap forward for those fishing smaller boats. Now you can sit on the backside of Catalina chasing ghosts in the dark without the roll and the noise of making AC power with a generator. The twelve-volt powered Seakeeper 2 can run 4 to 6 hours on its own battery bank before needing a boost from engine alternators.

“We even know of an experienced fishing crew who has a Seakeeper in a 54’ Blackman who spend their focus on setting light line records. The elimination of the pressures from a rocking boat has benefited the actual fighting of the fish on ultra-light lines by eliminating the uncontrollable surges of boat motion”, said Berkley.

“The benefits of a Seakeeper are just beginning to be realized by fishermen and as we develop models for even smaller boats, who knows how much more it will benefit the fishing world!”

Capt. Scott Goodwin started fishing in the lakes of Kentucky where he grew up. A move to Florida, however, brought him into a whole new realm of fishing. After receiving a bachelor's degree in biology from Eckerd College, he decided that he liked catching fish more than studying them and thus began his career as a captain. Scott began working as a mate on a charter boat and worked his way up to captain. He has been fortunate to fish in some of the top locations on the globe, including Florida, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Bahamas. Scott has learned from some of the best captains in the sport and has more than 29 years experience as a professional fisherman. He openly shares his knowledge and fishing tips on BD. Scott is now the editor of BDOutdoors.